Meeting Teresa Half Way

OK. Did you ever think this would actually happen?!
 
Thank you Jesus for Dr. V!  She really is as incredible as she seemed. The woman was born with a gift to cut through the bullsh--. When I first came in, I was completely fed up, but Dr. V was able to break down our walls. She looked each of us in the eye and said, “Sit down, shut up, and listen.” She got right down to it. She was 100% correct that we need to communicate better, listen more, yell less, and discuss our issues face-to-face, not behind each other’s backs. 
 
Dr. V. told us that our family should be a unified front and not to allow outsiders and non-family members to tear apart what we are working so hard to rebuild. I was honest when I told Teresa that I was willing to meet her half way. We have both done things wrong. All Joe needed was to hear his sister say that she did do some things to hurt us. He was done after that. We were both ready to move on, and I am glad we did.

Dr. V reiterated that our whole family should trust and rely on each other as we have in the past. In Season 3, when Teresa felt uncomfortable that Monica was at our Christmas party, we asked her to leave. No question. No explanation. Done. During the trip to California last season, when Teresa and Caroline were having trouble and Teresa wanted to leave, Joe and I left with her. Again, no question. At the end of the day, trust is going to take more time to repair, but we have to have each other’s backs, and Dr. V reminded us of that.
 
Watching this episode put me back to that day and I want to hold on to that positive feeling. When people hug and make up, for me, it’s done. The slate is clean. You can’t forget everything that happened, but you start from a new baseline each time. A new beginning is a new beginning. When at peace, there’s nothing you could do to make me start up again. As Joe said, “She’s easy.” Peace is my natural set point. If I’m forced out of that place, I don’t feel right until I can get back there. As soon as we finished our session with Dr. V, I was ready to have some fun. I drink to celebrate. The fighting was over! Let’s party! I might have had a little too much vodka that night, but I was happy that we all made up. I just wanted everyone to have a good time. I can’t believe the conversation I was having with Rosie at the table! I don’t think I’ll ever look at a peach the same way again. Joe and I laughed watching this episode. Laughing is SO MUCH better than crying.
 
I have to say that Caroline showed how much she truly cares about our family. Driving all those hours knowing she was coming into a bad situation.  Even though she ended up just spending time with us, we all appreciated it. It really showed her character and devotion as a friend to our family. Thank you, Caroline, we love you!  So glad to have turned a corner on the show. I hope that this episode is a good reminder to everyone on what we need to be doing to stay in this good place. We are family. And family is what matters most in the world.
 
We are getting closer and closer to the release of my book Love Italian Style, out officially on September 17, 2013. I just announced the dates for my book tour in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut on my website with lots more to come. Keep checking back! And follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
 
XOXO,
Melissa